Definition and causes

Hypoglycemia means low blood sugar levels. When your blood sugar falls, the tissues do not get enough sugar and thus energy. The brain can not convert fat and protein and are therefore using only sugar as energy and get this from the blood. If your blood sugar is too low, the brain does not get enough energy, and it provides various symptoms and at worst can be highly dangerous.

The vast majority of cases of hypoglycaemia seen in people with diabetes (diabetes), particularly among people with insulin-treated diabetes (see diabetes type 1 and type 2 diabetes).

Insulin is a hormone produced in the pancreas, and it gets your blood sugar to fall. This occurs because the insulin makes the blood sugar is kept from entering cells. Low blood sugar in diabetic patients is often caused by an overdose of insulin or other glucose-lowering agents in diabetes treatment. Either as a result of direct overdose or in situations in which the body needs less insulin than normal, without anyone having taken account of this in reading. This is seen, for example. in the reg

Hypoglycemia in diabetic patients can be divided into several degrees. If your blood sugar is just a little too low, they talk aboutinsulin sensitivity. After a while with the disease learn most to recognize this condition and know that they must take a small amount of sugar to normalize blood sugar.

In cases where diabetics become so bad that it requires help from others, they talk aboutinsulin caseand in very severe cases where the patient is unconscious, they talk aboutinsulin shock. The latter is a very serious condition that requires medical attention and can be highly dangerous.

In non-diabetic hypoglycaemia rarely seen, but a number of conditions can cause hypoglycaemia:

Various forms of liver dysfunction (see cirrhosis).

Adrenocortical insufficiency (Addison Morbus), or hypofysedysfunktion who just can result in poor binyrefunktion.

Insulinom (an insulin-producing tumor of the pancreas), although this is extremely rare.

Symptoms of low blood sugar

The symptoms depend on where your blood sugar is low. The lower blood sugar, the more and worse symptoms:

Paleness.

Upset.

Sweat Tours.

Hunger.

Fatigue and weakness.

Palpitations.

Internal unrest.

Irritation.

Focusing Trouble.

In severe cases seen in vision, convulsions, unconsciousness and coma.

Precautions and diagnosis

Most are familiar with the feeling of having low blood sugar. We feel weak and become irritable, and the condition alleviated by eating something. Only rarely requires hypo trying doctor. If you go to the doctor, is diagnosed with hypo easy to make, as it usually is about above-mentioned symptoms in a diabetic. The diagnosis is confirmed easily by measuring blood sugar with a blood sugar machine. This can be done almost immediately and requires only a small drop of blood from, for example. ear or a

Diabetics avoid mode, many times a day to measure blood sugar, and in cases of low blood sugar are familiar with the symptoms and know what to do. Most diabetics taking a lower dose of insulin than normal if they are to consume alcohol or exercise. It is also important for diabetics to eat more than normal before exercise to avoid hypoglycemia.

Treatment of low blood sugar

Mild cases of hypoglycaemia easily handled through the consumption of a small amount of sugar, for example. in the form of a couple of glucose tablets, juice or similar (most diabetics are always a little sugar on themselves in cases of low blood sugar).

In more serious cases such as cases of insulin or insulin shock therapy performed in hospital and consists of intravenous glucose (a sugary liquid directly into a vein or artery) or injection of the hormone glucagon in the muscle. Glucagon become counterproductive insulin and cause the blood sugar level to rise.

By adrenocortical insufficiency or liver disease, these conditions are treated, and in case of insulinom are reading operation with the removal of the tumor.

Select and complications

Hypoglycemia is in most cases quite harmless and very easy to handle. In mild cases of hypoglycaemia will intake of a little sugar almost immediately better condition.

Most diabetics, however, in their lives experience a couple of cases, insulin and / or insulin shock. This leads to rare injury, but serious cases of unconsciousness, convulsions or coma may at worst result in varying degrees of brain damage. This is, however, fortunately rare.